Harry Potter and the Trials of Lordship
by StevenTLawson
Summary: Sirius Black received his trial, however in his distraught mood he was unable to provide an adequate defense, this set off a chain of events that led to Harry bearing the weight of two houses and many people wanting to use him. He will need to be careful to find those who will look out for him in this dangerous new world he is thrust into.
1. Chapter 1

A small baby lay in a basket in a tiny cupboard under the stairs in a quaint little house in an unassuming neighborhood in Little Whinging, Surrey. His name was Harry Potter and he had ebony black hair, vibrant green eyes and a disfiguring scar on his forehead in the shape of a bolt of lightning that was just beginning to show signs of healing. Unbeknownst to him, across the country in an underground and magically hidden courtroom the entire world he had just left was prepared to shake itself to its roots.

"Order, I will have order," Dumbledore shouted as he tried to quiet down the members of the Wizengamot. "If you will not be silent you will be removed," he threatened. This worked to bring the cacophonic noise to a tolerable level. "Thank you," Dumbledore said as he cleared his throat. "Now, let me read the docket. For Lord Sirius Orion Black the Third, the charges are most heinous. Twelve counts if murdering muggles, twelve counts of breaking the Statute of Secrecy, One count of murder of a pureblooded wizard. And lastly," Dumbledore paused as he composed himself, this charge being one that held the gravest weight to it. "One count of Treason for aiding the Dark Lord know as Voldemort, as his right-hand man, how do you plead," Dumbledore asked, hoping beyond hope that something had been mixed up and the bright young man who was seen by all as the late Potter's best friend was innocent.

"It's all my fault," Sirius muttered to a silent audience. "Died because of me," he wept as tears streamed down his face.

"See he admits his guilt, he weeps for his fallen master," a member of the Wizengamot shouted. This outburst caused everyone to erupt into roars of anger and demands of punishment.

"Please Sirius, tell us it's all a misunderstanding," Dumbledore begged as he stared down at the accused chained to the chair in the center of the room.

"Just kill me already," Sirius moaned. "It's what I deserve, it was all for nothing."

He had wished it could be different, but with Sirius all but admitting his guilt and requesting death. Nothing would stop the Wizengamot from extracting their pound of flesh. All Dumbledore could do was sigh and call for a vote. "All in favor of sentencing Lord Sirius Orion Black, to death, raise your wands now," the aged wizard solemnly requested. Even without his own Dumbledore could see every wand raised. "All opposed?" he asked following proper procedure, knowing that his own vote would mean nothing but to show his staunch opposition to execution. "And so it passes," Dumbledore declared to the room. "Let the record show that at 9:15am on November 12th, 1981. Lord Sirius Orion Black is to be sentenced to execution by the Veil of Death."

The next day, a conspicuous Friday the thirteenth, Lucius Malfoy called a meeting of the Wizengamot. "Lord Malfoy, you have the floor," Dumbledore addressed Lucius to state his business.

"Thank you, Chief Warlock, as Lord Black has been executed," Lucius started before the seated members of the Wizengamot and associated press assembled began to grumble. "Yes, however, as the last remaining member of the Black family and it's presiding lord. The last will and testament must be read."

Lucius had it all planned out upon Sirius' capture. As one of Voldemort's inner circle he knew that Sirius Black was not a member, let alone his right-hand man, but he did know that coward Peter Pettigrew was a marked Death Eater. Now that Sirius had died, that left very few people alive that had claim to the Black family fortune or it's seats on the Wizengamot. Something he had been expecting to claim as his own. As the only remaining members of the family were Bellatrix Lestrange, who was barred due to her lifetime incarceration in Azkaban. Andromeda Tonks, who was exempt by virtue of being disowned by previous Lord Black before his passing and the title falling to Sirius. And lastly his own wife, who while had Black blood, was a woman and could not take up the mantle of the House of Black, but his year-old son Draco, could.

Lucius held out the rolled parchment he had gotten from the Wizengamot Administration Services. Dumbledore verified the scroll was legitimate and the seal unbroken, nodding he cut the seal with a special knife that was designed for this purpose. Clearing his throat, he quickly glanced at the sheet once more to verify authenticity. "It all seems well and good now. Let us begin the reading," Dumbledore said the assembled spectators.

For Lucius this day had started out amazing, but it quickly turned sour as he listened to his machinations crumble to dust before him.

"_I Sirius Orion Black the Third, being of soundish mind and mostly sober, so do declare this to be my Last Will and Testament, I hearby revoke any and all wills and codicils._

_Let's get right to the point then. I leave all my worldly possessions and titles, to my godson Harry James Potter, yes Lil's that includes the motorcycle and those stacks of Playwitch, wait where are you going, no don't burn those. James stop her, she's destroying your son's inheritance, those are going to be worth a fortune when he's older."_

The outburst from everyone in the room was deafening. Each trying to shout down others about how this must be a forgery and that Voldemort's right-hand man would never have left everything to Harry Potter.

Dumbledore fired loud blasts of sound from his wand, he had tears stinging his eyes as he tried to piece together what was happened. "All of you will be silent or I will have the aurors remove you. Mr. Thickness would you please go to the Goblin Liaison office to have a representative of Gringotts here to verify authenticity."

A short while later a goblin walked into the packed room. "I am Representative Goldtooth of Gringotts, what document do you wish verified."

"If you would please, this will is in contention," Dumbledore said as he passed the parchment to the goblin.

Goldtooth ran his finger down the side of the paper. "Yes this was written by Lord Sirius Orion Black and is authentic," the goblin stated to the dismay of the crowd.

"Thank you for your time, Representative Goldtooth," Dumbledore said with a slight bow to the goblin who was leaving the ministry as quickly as it could. "As you can see this is neither a forgery nor a trick," Dumbledore addressed the Wizengamot. "Now I will continue reading."

"_As for the rest of my family, unfortunately, the only one I liked was Andromeda, who while disowned, she is still married to her husband and such I am unable to bring her back into the family, so I leave to her, the ancestral home of the Blacks, may she do whatever she want with it. Burn it down, blow it up or turn it into a muggle-based theme park._

_To Bellatrix, I wished you had never met Rodolphus Lestrange, he changed you as a person. If you managed to free yourself from his clutches and came back to the light, then I leave to you one hundred thousand galleons, with the contingency that you give up this Death Eater nonsense._

_For Narcissa, a similar offer is made. Leave that posh shithead Lucius, take the one hundred thousand galleons, divorce him and settle down with a man that looks less flamboyant than those atrocious albino peacocks he has."_

Dumbledore finished reading the will to a stunned audience, it went further into disbursement of funds to friends and those he likes while taking jabs at those he didn't. For a moment the courtroom was silent, many expectations of what the will would entail were shattered.

"I put forth a motion for the Potter Will's to be read," Lucius declared in haste. "Something is wrong here, why would the Dark Lord's right-hand man leave everything to the boy who killed him. We're being confounded."

Sighing to himself Dumbledore raised his wand. "Does anyone second the motion," he asked, already knowing what the answer would be as dozens of wands shot up in unison. "Very well motion passes."

A short while later a ministry clerk nervously stepped into the chamber. "I have the Potter's will Chief Warlock."

"Thank you, Ms. Mint," Dumbledore kindly said with a twinkle in his eye. "Ahem, now if you are all ready," he addressed the assembled body.

"_We James and Lily Potter, being of soundish mind. _

_James take this seriously. _

_Sorry Lils. _

_No, James, it's still writing all of this. _

_It's okay Lily we'll get the Goblins to cut this part out._

_We the Potters so declare this to be our Last Will and Testament, we hearby revoke any and all wills and codicils._

_If this is being read far in the future, we hope that Harry grew up to be a fine young man. If as we suspect, it is being read after our deaths at the hand of Voldemort. Then damn you Pettigrew._

_James, stop it._

_No Lily, if we died under the fidelius then only Peter could have given us up as the Secret Keeper."_

Dumbledore stopped reading the will when the witches and wizards listening started ranting and raving. "EVERYBODY SILENCE," Dumbledore yelled over them all. "As it stands, we, the Wizengamot have committed a most grave injustice. Yesterday we put to death a lord of a noble and ancient house. But even more, we took the life of an innocent man."

The will further stated to whom Harry was supposed to be sent to as his caretakers. The first name on the list was Sirius Black, his godfather and dogfather, something that did confuse most of the assembled members but they had simply assumed that this was some inside joke shared among friends. From there it named Alice Longbottom, as his godmother. When Augusta stood up to assert that she could take care of the young Potter heir Dumbledore had to stop her.

"Unfortunately this is not possible, for one, Young Alice is not able to take custody of him, in her current state," Dumbledore said sadly, knowing that both Frank and Alice were laying in a bed at Saint Mungos.

"Posh, a technicality Albus," Augusta fluffed herself up. "I am certain that none here, would object to skipping Alice's signature in this rare case."

"I would be more than happy to Augusta alas it is not possible," Dumbledore stated.

"What do you mean Albus, why is it not possible," Amelia, Regent of House Bones said from her seat in the chamber.

"When Voldemort," Dumbledore started pausing as many members flinched at the name. "Fell that fateful night not two weeks ago, I knew that young Harry would be in danger. As many of his followers were still free to follow their master. So I sent him away somewhere the Death Eaters would never be able to get to him," he admitted.

"Then you can just go get him," Undersecretary Cornelius Fudge ordered.

"No I cannot," Dumbledore shouted. "The protections I have placed on him will prevent anyone from the magical community from contacting him."

"How dare you Chief Warlock," Minister Crouch shouted back.

"How dare I," Dumbledore roared, as he turned to stare at the assembled mass of angry witches and wizards. "How dare I? You presume too much. Had the Potter will been read and followed, every free Death Eater that we had yet to capture would be hunting down Sirius Black and Harry Potter."

"They wouldn't try," Augusta sneered.

"Oh I am certain they would," Dumbledore glared over his half-moon glasses. "Had Sirius been unable to take Harry at the time then he would have been placed with Frank and Alice, long before the LeStranges got to them, and I have no doubts that they would have been more ferocious during their assault and with far more numbers." The Headmasters point struck home as Augusta could not try to deny that had Harry been placed with Alice that the LeStranges would not have done considerably more damage to their home. As it was, they had chosen to spend time torturing her son and daughter in law for far longer, giving her time to secret away Neville. She was a stubborn and set in her way's woman, but she understood that they would have killed instead had Harry been placed in her home.

"Then why didn't you take the Potter child to Hogwarts, if you were so worried about his safety. Even the Dark Lord was never able to breach the wards," Lord Nott said from his side of the aisle.

Albus sighed. "Truthfully, I could not trust, not my staff, student, or even myself to keep him safe," He admitted. "With my positions comes many responsibilities, of the Headmaster, it is to the students, all of them. Dividing my attention to Harry would have been unfair to them." Not able to admit that he suspected many of the students already to have taken the Dark Mark or held extremely sympathetic views towards Tom Riddle and while Hogwarts might have protected Harry from outside threats, unfortunately he would not be safe from any dangers already in the school.

"Then what are we to do," Amelia sighed. "This child is heir to both the Potter and Black Lordships, when exactly will he be able to rejoin our world."

"When his Hogwarts letter is sent out, then limited contact will be possible," Dumbledore stated.

The next few hours were made up of constant arguing from the Wizengamot about details of the wills that were read. The headlines, international and domestic were running rampant for weeks.

_Harry Potter-Black?_

_The-Boy-Who-Doesn't-Know_

_Harry Potter What Will He Look Like_

Some authors attempted to write up fantastical stories about adventures that the famous Boy-Who-Lived went on, but as everyone knew that Harry was simply living in the muggle world and most had very low opinions of it to begin with. It was widely accepted that those books were simply fictional, even if they had decent sales with young witches and wizards for the use of a child aged protagonist.

Over the many years a sense of peace had settled in the magical world and for a time it felt as if everything would be normal again. But underneath that brewed something nefarious, it wasn't necessarily evil minded, but it certainly didn't want to be brought into the light. Many families planned as it neared the day the Hogwarts letters were sent out, July 31st. For even families firmly in the light saw this as an opportunity. Harry Potter-Black, heir to two Lordships, a vast wealth that dwarfed most other houses and untold political power. So they wanted to ensure that their family was there to guide the young child who knew nothing of their world.

As it would happen it was a calm morning that Friday and for many the day had yet to start, but in a castle deep in the Scottish Highlands, in a well-furnished office, surrounding a book were many adults. "Albus, I don't particularly enjoy having this many people in my office," Minerva said as she looked at all who had shown up this morning. The now current Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge and his Lapdog Dolores Umbridge. Lucius Malfoy, which she suspected was present because Fudge couldn't tie his shoes without consulting the other man. Madame Amelia Bones, who she had fond memories teaching and was here in her official capacity as Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

A voice drew her attention. "When will this start," Ms. Skeeter said from the back. Ms. Rita Skeeter, or as McGonagall and Dumbledore knew her Tina Simmons, a half-blood Ravenclaw who graduated in 68' and they were disappointed that she used her talents for near slanderous articles.

"In a moment," Minerve shushed the woman as blank sheets of paper began to fly over to the large tome. Ink began to form on the parchment as the letters were written by the ancient book. They then neatly folded themselves into a pile ready to be sorted.

"Huh, I always did wonder how that was done," Fudge said, many in agreement, not that the process was a secret, but that many just never bothered to ask about it. To see it firsthand was a strange novelty.

"And now we have Mr. Potter's letter," Minerva said as she dug through the stack.

_Mr. H. Potter-Black,_

_The Cupboard under the Stairs,_

_4, Privet Drive._

_Little Whinging,_

_Surrey_

Internally Malfoy groaned, for years he had been trying to prove that his son was the true heir to the Black Lordship. But this paper showed everyone present that it just wasn't true.

"Why is the home named the Cupboard under the stairs," Madame Bones questioned.

"Well we will find out shortly won't we," Fudge said matter of factly.

"Yes, we shall," Dumbledore said as he drew his wand and a conjured a length of rope and turned it into a portkey. The aged headmaster was not holding out the best of hope of what was to come as they were all whisked away by the magic.


	2. Chapter 2

With the sound of rushing air, the large group of witches and wizards landed in a small neighborhood south of London. "Ugh, I can smell the muggle in the air," Lucius scoffed as he exaggeratedly waved his hand in front of his nose. Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge made a noise in agreement that could be construed as halfway between a croak and a moan.

A car barreling down the street passed by making Cornelius jump backwards. "Egad, these muggles are reckless, careening down the pathways at such speeds in such flimsy machines," he ranted as he adjusted his bowler hat on his head.

Amelia rolled her eyes at the Ministers wimpy nature, but she was here as his protection and to ensure that all laws were followed from this point forward, so she had to put up with his whining and his awful secretary. "Dumbledore, are you certain this is the place? It feels, wrong," Amelia asked as she stared at the building labeled number four. The paint looked too new, the grass looked artificially cut with the perfect lines and the garden that would have been a nice touch of life, but it too was arranged in a strange manner as if it was over tended.

Dumbledore nodded as he drew his wand. "Hmm, it seems there are four people in the home, so that would be the Dursley's, Lily's relatives," he informed. "And a Mister Potter."

Minerva walked up to the door ignoring the flashing bulb of Ms. Skeeter's camera man, she firmly knocked on the wood while everyone else behind her crowded around the walkway. She stumbled back when she heard a bellowing roar.

"BOY, get the door," Vernon shouted from the dining table where he and Dudley were busy eating pancakes, bacon, sausage, and other breakfast items in absurd portions.

"Well," Minerva chuckled as she looked back. "He certainly has a set of lungs on him.

The clicking of a lock on the door drew their attention back as it slowly opened and a small boy stared up at them. "He-hello, how can I help you," he asked as he stared at the many people, before shielding his face when the flashbulb went off. "Ahhh," he moaned in discomfort then began rubbing his eyes to get rid of the spots.

"Ms. Skeeter if you can't control your camera man, I will turn him into a newt until this is over," Amelia snarled. Rita knowing that Madame Bones would make good on her threat pushed the lens down and pointing at the ground.

"Mr. Potter," Minerva asked.

Harry looked up at the woman as he blinked, then nodded to her. "Yes, that's me," he said cautiously.

"I am Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," she stated as she held out a letter to him. "I have come to formally invite you to attend our most prestigious school."

Harry took the letter and turned it over a couple of times, before looking behind her at the other witches and wizards behind her. "And them," he asked.

Minerva smirked. "Busybodies who have nothing better to do with their time."

Umbridge fluffed at the insult while Dumbledore simply chuckled at the truth of the comment. "Harry," Petunia's shrill voice called down the hall from the kitchen. "What is taking so bloody loooong," she strained her voice as she looked at who was standing on her porch. "_You_," she hissed as she stomped over to McGonagall. She firmly shoved Harry out of the way and he slammed into the wall off to the side. Minerva gasped at how roughly she was treating her nephew and Amelia started to draw her wand. "How dare you come back to my home, you awful witch," Petunia shrieked. "First you take away my sister, then you leave the boy on our doorstep, and that's not good enough is it, you have to come back with more of your freaks and what, disrupt our normal lives," she ranted.

"Pet what's the problem," Vernon called as he walked down the hall, his girth taking up most of the space. Lucius sneered in disgust as he took in the sight of Vernon Dursley.

"It's these freaks, Vernon," Petunia said as she stepped away from the door. "They've come for the boy."

"That's it, I'm getting my gun, should have just put the boy down before it got this far," Vernon shouted as he turned up the stairs.

Those assembled of the magical community gaped as they heard about Vernon's plan to arm himself and talk so easily of killing a child. Amelia quickly strode forward and started flinging spells. "By the authority granted to me by the Ministry of Magic, you are all under arrest, for suspected child abuse," she loudly and firmly stated as she strode into the home.

Dumbledore sighed as he and the rest followed her into the home. With all his years of experience he began to scan the room and noticed some damning evidence that the Dursley home was not suitable and that it was likely that Harry would never be allowed to return. In every picture frame, standing happily were the Dursley's, Petunia, Vernon and Dudley happily smiling, all of them devoid of the presence of Harry Potter.

As Rita smiled with glee and instructed her camera man to keep taking as many pictures of the home as possible, Harry quietly followed behind the group as they moved into the living room. "Well, they certainly don't have taste," Lucius sneered as he took the in the awful upholstery.

"Mm, yes, well they are muggle Lucius," Fudge nodded in agreement. "What exactly did you expect."

"Quite."

Amelia and Minerva had moved the unconscious bodies of Petunia and Vernon on to the couch and transfigured it to bind them to the fabric before she enervated them.

"How dare you."

"Freaks, the lot of you."

"Burning in hell."

"Get muh gun."

Both the muggle adults screaming and hollering threats and vitriol. "Be quiet," Amelia ordered the two of them who simply ignored her and then began directing rude comments at the rest of the people. "Enough," Amelia screamed as she silenced both of the adults. She turned back to the people she came with. "Well today has turned to shiii," she dragged out her swear as she noticed that Harry was standing quietly in the corner, being as still as humanly possible.

Coughing she pointed towards him and saw him flinch when everyone in the room look at him at once. Dumbledore quickly walked over to Harry who took a step back until his back was against the wall. "My name is Albus Dumbledore, can you tell me your name?" he asked in his signature grandfatherly tone.

"H-Harry P-Potter sir," Harry said quietly.

"Mr. Potter," Albus sighed. "I think I have made a grave mistake when I put you with the Dursley's all those years ago."

"Wait what," Harry questioned as he tried to understand all that was happening around him.

"Would you please have a seat so that we may ask you some questions," Albus requested as he nudged Harry over to a lounge chair.

"I'm not allowed on the furniture," Harry muttered as he pressed against Dumbledore's hand.

"Oh Merlin," Minerva gasped as she heard Harry's comment. "What have you done to the boy," she shouted at Petunia.

"We tried to get the freak out of him," Petunia said when the silence was lifted off of her.

Amelia quirked an eyebrow. "And how did you plan to do that," she asked.

"Why would I tell you freaks anything more than that," she spat at Amelia.

Amelia wiped the spittle off her robes and turned to the Minister who looked like Christmas, his birthday and National Free Beer Day all came at once. "I am requesting the use of Veritaserum on Mister and Missus Dursley," She said as she transfigured a piece of parchment into the specified form. She waved her wand over the line designating her as the requester and handed it to Cornelius who giggle with glee as he eagerly signed the affirmative.

"Please, you have my blessing," Cornelius said as he plotted numerous ways to use this kerfuffle against Dumbledore. A mentality shared by Lucius and his undersecretary.

Amelia quickly conjured her patronus and sent it with a message to have a bottle of the potion brought straight to her. When Kingsley Shacklebolt cautious walked into the muggle home he paused as he saw everyone to turn to stare at him. "I uh, I got the potion, sealed, just as you ordered ma'am," he said as he passed the bottle to her and stood back, an eyebrow raised as he watched his boss force the potion on the fat muggle.

"Tell us your name," Amelia ordered of Vernon.

"Vernon Buchannan Dursley," he answered.

"How much do you weigh."

"About twenty-three stone."

Amelia crinkled her nose at that answer, she had expected it to be high but to actually hear it disgusted her.

"What did you mean by try to get the freak out of him," she darkly asked.

"I would regularly beat the boy, with belt, rod, sometimes my fist, anytime he performed his freakish magic. Afterwards I'd starve him and lock him in his room for a few days to make sure he learned his lesson," Vernon robotically said.

Amelia stunned Mr. Dursley before he could speak further. She turned towards Petunia who looked at her with eyes wide with fear. She shot out her hand and roughly grabbed Petunia's cheeks, the gaunt woman struggling as much as she could to get free even if she was magically bound to the sofa. But Amelia forced her mouth open and splashed some of the potion in.

"WHAT IS YOUR NAME," Amelia shouted.

"Petunia Orchid Dursley nee Evans," she quietly said as tears streaked down her face.

"What did you do to that boy."

"I lied, I told him magic wasn't real, I lied about how his parents died, told them they died in a car crash and weren't murdered by Voldemort," Petunia blurted out even as the others recoiled from her use of the Dark Lord's name. "When he was small and began to cry, I would just leave him until he couldn't cry anymore, until his throat was sore and his voice hoarse. I withheld love from him and showered my son with it just to make sure he knew what it looked like."

Amelia let Petunia continue for a while, confessing everything she did to Harry Potter, when she couldn't stand to listen for another moment longer about the mistreatment, she asked the question she thought most important.

"Why, why would you treat an innocent child this way, your nephew."

"Because I was jealous, Lily was perfect, everyone loved her, she was beautiful, smart, affectionate, and that was even before she went to that school to learn magic. That damned Severus turned her against us, enticed her with the wonderful world, that I could never be a part of. And I just saw it again in her son, that if he and Dudley grew up as equals, then the day would come when Harry would leave and it would start all over again," Petunia hiccupped as she felt the unusual amount of potion in her bubble and gurgle. "I was never invited to the wedding, because it was held where muggles can't go, I was never even taken to her grave after that maniac blew himself up killing them. All I got was a letter and a baby on the doorstep in the middle of the night."

Petunia turned a harsh glare towards the witches and wizards. "Why didn't any of you take him, why didn't that Black fellow who was always running around with that Potter bastard take him in, or any of her friends. Your magic is a curse, if Lily never had it, I'd still have my sister. We would have grown up together instead of only getting to see her on breaks. Instead of her being in that invisible castle in Scotland that her parents can't go to because you freaks hide from the world."

Petunia continued her rant in front of the full Wizengamot a week later, it didn't change her fate, as she and Vernon were sentenced to Azkaban for thirty years, which for a muggle means they would be dead in a few months.

However for Harry after the interrogation began, Minerva quickly had him gather his belongings, and prepared him to leave the home. When Harry opened the door to the cupboard under the stairs she gasped in shock and knew this was getting worse and worse as the scratched in words of "Harry's Bedroom" were carved into the wood. Rita's camera man never stopped taking pictures until Minerva transfigured him into a newt. The shouting between herself, Rita and Madame Umbridge drew Albus to get inbetween them.

Harry just stood quietly watching and waiting for others to decide his fate again. He watched as a man with long blonde hair spoke gleefully with the man in a green suit and bowler hat. "Harry, if you would please take my hand," Albus said quietly. "I'm taking you to Hogwarts," he firmly added.

Harry just nodded and grasped the old man's hand before the most nauseating feeling overwhelmed him and he appeared in a dimly lit office room, filled with books, bobbles and a strange orange bird. Then he threw up on the carpet and passed out.

* * *

When he next awoke he was in a long fluffy bed, with clean white sheets and a screen separating his view from the rest of the room. He heard a faint chime further down before the bustling of footsteps. "Hello Mr. Potter, I am Madame Pomfrey, how are you feeling," she asked as she sat on a stool by his bed.

Harry sat up and groaned as his body ached. "Terrible," he answered.

"No doubt about that, I bet you are starving something fierce after the morning you've had," Pomfrey smiled at him. "Drippy, Bappy, Nooty," she called out to the building. Three synchronous pops sounded afterwards.

"Yes Ms. Nurse Lady," the first house elf said as it stepped forward.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," Pomfrey said. "I need one of you to make a nice hearty meal for Mr. Potter here." She motioned to the boy in the bed who was staring at the newly arrived creatures. "I need another one of you to get him a spare set of robes to wear and lastly, one of you needs to go and collect the headmaster and Professor McGongall."

"We be doings that," the elf saluted as three more pops and they had disappeared throughout the castle.

"Mr. Potter, do you know where you are," Pomfrey asked as she stared at the terrified boy.

Harry quickly shook his head. "No, there was a lot of yelling at the Dursley's then this old man took my hand and I ended up somewhere else," he explained.

Madame Pomfrey sighed then stood and walked away grumbling about old men never explaining things properly. She returned a moment later when Harry heard a pop to his side and saw that there was a steaming bowl of stew on the bedside table next to him. "Well go on then, that's for you," Madame Pomfrey insisted as she passed Harry the bowl.

Harry gingerly took it and swirled the spoon for a moment before taking a sip. "It's really good," he quietly said.

"Well that's good, I think we're going to have company soon though, so eat up, this might be a long day," regret in her voice as she heard the door to the infirmary open and more people began filing in, many of them the same as earlier while there were quite a few others.

"Oh he's so cute," Aurora Septima squealed as she pushed passed the group to get closer to Harry. "Like a little cuddly James, oh but he has Lily's beautiful eyes. Daw, aren't you just precious."

"Ahem," Amelia cleared her throat. "I do have an investigation to get to today."

Professor Vector stopped just shy of Harry's bed and nervously chuckled. "Right, well."

Amelia stepped forward. "Harry, my do you remember me," she asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, you were the lady questioning my aunt and uncle."

"Mhm, do you know why."

"Because they were hurting me," he said hopefully.

"Right, now Mr. Potter, would you mind answering some questions for me."

Harry sat quietly for a moment looking at those who stood in the room. "Okay," he agreed. He wasn't comfortable sitting in the bed surrounded by people who got to hear every embarrassing way he was hurt, he didn't like to see how angry they got when they listened.

"Albus," Amelia said as she finished asking Harry questions. "I do not have the power to remove you as headmaster, but I am going to be sending Susan this year as well. If I find even a HINT that something funny is going on," she warned.

Dumbledore gulped as he could see everyone glaring at him, knowing that he was the reason Harry had been sent to where he was. "I understand Amelia, I do want it known, that I would never have sent young Harry to his relatives if I had any hint that is what would happen to him."

Amelia stared at the headmaster for a moment. "Anything else you wish to tell me."

"Not in public no," Albus confessed.

"Fine, to your office then," she motioned.

Pomfrey quickly bustled forward and cut off anyone who tried to approach Harry. "No, get out, he's been gawked at enough today and still hasn't had time for a full meal, anything else can wait." Lucius rolled his eyes, he wanted to get his hooks into the Potter boy now, before anyone else did. "Uh uh uh, I see that look Lucy, if you try anything you'll be on your bum in the hallway faster than you can say, I don't know that how that there, I promise," she threatened.

Lucius Malfoy snarled as he remembered the time he had to have Madame Pomfrey remove something from his person, that should not have been there to begin with. Not wanting any of that information to get out he twirled his cloak and stormed out followed by Severus Snape. "Severus, we have much work to do," Lucius plotted. "That boy is the key to everything."

Snape kept pace as the pair strode towards the dungeon. While he would be hesitant to call him friend, Lucius was one of the few former Death Eaters who saw him for his talents and not his blood, the Dark Lord was one of them, but with his demise and the Dark Mark gone. Of the Death Eaters who managed to escape Azkaban because they had never been identified, Lucius was one of the few who still chose to associate with him. "And what do you expect to be done?"

"If the boy can be brought to our side, then we will have his political might to wield for ourselves," Lucius explained. "With two of the longest-lived houses and the fame of defeating the Dark Lord, when he comes into his majority, he will be a political powerhouse that could destroy any opposition."

Snape nodded in understanding. "Yes, the child will hold a lot of sway and will even have the sympathy of the common witch and wizard after everything he has experienced comes to light. But," Snape proposed, causing Lucius to pause. "Should he not be swayed. Then what will happen."

"We kill him," Lucius simply stated. "Then Draco shall inherit the Black name and fortune."

Snape for all he was worth didn't care for James Potter's child, but he understood one thing, he owed the Potter's a life debt, which was supposedly owed only to James, but a check in the Department of Records after the war had died down, showed it had transferred to Harry Potter-Black, explained on the sheet as, "Willfully endangered the life of the person he owed a debt too." Apparently pointing Voldemort at the Potter's, with no regard for James' safety was seen as a betrayal and an attempt to escape the debt. Upon reading obscure laws, it turns out this can happen only once, so long as a direct descendant exists, the debt will transfer down once, but should it not be filled then the life debt will kill him.

Snape was a mean and cowardly man, but he was no fool. He knew that should he fail to protect the Potter child, then he would be forfeiting his own life as well. But he could not give that information up lest his loyalties be challenged, so he simply nodded and agreed with Lucius. "I will do what I can."

In Dumbledore's office the headmaster was currently protecting himself under a shield as Amelia Bones flung hex after hex at him. "Of all the stupid, idiotic plan I have heard," she screamed.

"Amelia please, I had to," Albus pleaded as he fended off attacks. "Nicholas called in a debt, I had no choice but to accept."

Amelia stomped her foot repeatedly growling at the headmaster who slowly righted his office and seated himself back in his chair. "I don't like it."

"I don't either, but someone or someone's has been attempting to steal their philosopher stone for quite some time, and they can't get their affairs in order until they can be assured of its security, which is why he entrusted it to me," Albus explained.

Amelia sat down in her chair, toned legs firmly crossed in front of her. "And it has to be here."

"Unfortunately, yes. I need to be able to keep the stone close in case I have to remove it, and I can place increased protections on it to slow down any thieves should they try and make a play for it."

"Oh protections, what like you did for Harry Potter," Amelia sneered.

"Goodness no," Albus reeled back. "No I learned that mistake, the protections are far more conventional if a bit slanted. The only way someone would get passed them would be to know strange magics and an even stranger way of thinking."

"I hate you, I hate Nicolas Flamel and I hate this plan," Amelia grumbled.

"It should only be until next summer then they will request the stone back," Albus smiled at the redheaded woman.

Amelia shot out of the chair. "Anything strange happens and you call me Albus, I don't want to be blindsided by some criminal getting their hands on it, while students are in the school."

"I assure you, anything wrong at all and you will be the first to know," he replied with a twinkle in his eye.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **So this is another story that starts in first year, similar to my Broken Child story, but a few changes, some apparent, others not until later. It might be a bit slow to start but it will also deviate greatly at points.

Glad to see such a positive reception to the first chapter. I might have other ideas planned for more stories because I can't see to focus on what I have written already. But I digress, I'll be introducing Tonks in the next chapter and some motivations for her, might keep the focus on her and reference Harry's trip to Diagon Alley as I couldn't see trouble happening right then, but I could flashback, but then again I don't really care for flashbacks so I might do a small part where Harry is in Diagon and when he gets to Hogwarts, but that might end up being long because that's just how things end up some times.


	3. Chapter 3

Nymphadora Tonks slowly came down the stairs of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, where she had growing up for the last decade of her life. She walked under the dismembered heads of the previous house elves. She was trying to be extra careful this morning as she had some sneaking suspicions that something was wrong. She crept around the corner and stood next to an archway. Inside the kitchen she could hear her mother silently crying.

It was painful for her mother to stay in a home like this, a constant reminder that she was only here because the previous Lord Black had bequeathed it to her in his will before the Wizengamot had him wrongfully executed. Something Nymphadora wanted to change when she joined the auror corps as she realized that with Sirius' trial they had done no investigation and instead had just grabbed him and threw him in the chair.

Her mother had broken down when she heard the result of that damned trial, Tonks was furious when she was old enough to understand what had really happened. During her fourth year at Hogwarts she snuck up to see the Headmaster and tear strips off him, not liking that ultimately he was not in a position to do anything about is, as Chief Warlock he was required to be impartial and that meant not defending or prosecuting a case himself. When she saw the public record showing that he had been the only vote cast not to have Lord Black executed she could take solace in that Dumbledore genuinely didn't want people to die and had apologized for attacking him in such an unfair manner.

She like the rest of the magical world knew who the next Lord Black would be, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, Defeater of Voldemort, He-Who-Grew -Up-With-Muggles. She sighed as she walked into the kitchen and rubbed her mother's back. "It was his birthday today, Nymphadora," Andromeda said as she dabbed her cheek with a handkerchief. "Our Lord Black has turned eleven today, he'll be in Hogwarts at the same time as you."

Nymphadora rolled her eyes. "He's not our Lord Black, we're still disowned," Tonks said firmly in frustration as she walked over to sit at the table as Kreacher prepared breakfast.

"Please Nymphadora, maybe there is a way," Andromeda sobbed.

Tonks sighed; her mother had always held out hope there was some loophole to having her reinstated into the Black Family without requiring that she forever divorce her muggleborn husband. Despite the pureblood traditions, Andromeda loved her family but over the last ten years, Ted has not found a single way to get them brought back into the family on something that they could petition Harry Potter for. Except for one, seemingly the only way to get the Tonks name back on the Black Family Tree, marriage. Tonks shuddered at the thought, remembering when she had asked her Aunt Walburga.

"If the new Lord Black should take your filthy half-blood hand in marriage, Merlin knows why he'd want some used-up shapeshifting whore like you, when he could choose a proper pureblood virgin," Walburga's painting scolded the twelve-year-old Tonks. "Then as his wife, he would be allowed to bring her immediate family into the Black line of inheritance once more."

Tonks had a long talk with her parents about what she had been told and they explained some of the words that the despicable painting had used. The only reason it hadn't been removed was because it held many answers to the Black family, even if it treated the house's occupants terribly. Both of her parents had told her that it wasn't her job to reinstate their name and that it didn't matter, but Tonks knew what they said was pained.

Tonks had spent many months trying to come to terms with that information. So when Charlie Weasley had asked her out in her fourth year she panicked and ran away. Her thoughts racing, "I can't let anyone else touch me like that, what if that's what the new Lord Black wants, a woman who hasn't been touched. I couldn't forgive myself if the only chance my mother had to get back into the family she knew was taken from her because I couldn't keep my legs shut." Over the years Tonks didn't feel she was missing out on too much by not dating, seeing how many others acted. And should it turn out that Harry Potter wasn't interested she could then chalk it up to having made an honest attempt and going to find a date or two.

Rumors spread from other girls about Tonks over the years, jealous about her ability to seemingly be perfect in appearance and that many of the single boys and even boys who were already in relationships would talk about how much they wanted to get with the shapeshifter. She knew she was a blushing virgin, but it didn't stop other girls from spreading rumors about how much of a slut she was and that caused many a guy to try and get with her.

From time to time her parents would ask her if she had any nice boys or girls that she was interested in, but Tonks would shrug it off and just say they were more interested in what she could do than who she was and that usually was enough to get them to drop the subject, not wanting to confess that her abstinence was on the chance that Harry Potter might be interested in her.

This morning was turning out to be a grand spectacle when two owls flew in the window to deliver the paper, "Special edition of the prophet," Andromeda said as she grabbed the paper, seemingly the same size as the norming edition. Tonks fell out of her chair when her mother screamed in shock. "Oh sweet dear Merlin no," she cried out as she quickly read the paper. "No, no, no," Andomeda began sobbing.

"Mom, what's wrong, what's the problem," Tonks said as she quickly rushed over to her mother, the last time she had been this way was when she got a letter saying her childhood muggleborn friend had been found by Voldemort's Death Eaters, it wasn't pretty.

"Oh Nymphadora, it's awful," She said as she pushed the paper to her daughter. "Look, look what those awful muggles have done to our Lord Black."

Tonks took the paper and rolled her eyes before scanning the details, that the infamous Rita Skeeter had written, except this wasn't like her other articles that usually had vague sources or completely biased ones, this one had the Minister, her uncle Lucius, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore and Amelia Bones as the sources. She just as fast as her mother consumed the information and saw the moving photos.

"Oh holy shit," she exclaimed as she sat down. "That's so bloody wrong."

"Oh Nymphadora, please, when you see our Lord Black in Hogwarts, please, keep an eye out for him," Andromeda begged her daughter.

Tonks nodded. "Yeah, of course, I mean, I'd do that for any kid who needed it. Merlin that's so, a cupboard, a bloody cupboard. Jeez that's so wrong, who would do that, even Uncle Lucy wouldn't treat me like that if anything happened to you and dad," Tonks said quietly.

Tonks had a hard time sleeping that night, she tossed and turned remembering that some of her housemates grew up in not nice conditions. Even some purebloods, she came to learn, didn't have lavish and large estates. She knew that many grew up in homes where they struggled to put food on the table and it made her thankful that Grimmauld place was owned entirely by her parents, that they both have strong careers and she didn't grow up wanting for much. But as she thought about Harry Potter, she shivered. "How someone could do such a thing to a child," she thought as she looked over at her Hogwarts trunk, packed and ready to go the next day. "I always thought that Uncle Lucy and Aunt Narcissa let Draco grow up in a cold house, but that, words don't even describe what that must have been like for Harry Potter, and everyone knows, it's plastered all over a special edition."

* * *

That morning Tonks hugged her mom and dad on her way out the door, finally being seventeen her parents had taught her to apparate and taken her to get her license for it so she no longer had to side-along with her mom or dad or worst of all, take the awful floo system. She suspected it had been rigged to make her trip every time she came out of it. Landing on the platform she looked around hoping to see the redheaded terrors she had befriended. Even after turning down their older brother, the Weasley twins had understood and still thought she was pretty awesome for the pranks she pulled. "Just like every year," she sighed as she knew the Weasley's would never show up more than five minutes before the train left.

But this year something was different, she had been training to be accepted into the auror's program and noticed a few details. After a few moments of piecing it together, she came to a realization. _"Most of these families are looking for something," _Tonks deduced. _"But what could be, of course, Harry Potter, Merlin, they're just sending him into a den of ravenous dragons aren't they,"_ she finished thinking. She concluded that since everyone knew how Harry Potter grew up, that families would be conspiring to get him firmly into their camp.

She stood back like a lot of families and watched as others came and went through the archway. Suddenly there were murmurs as Amelia Bones walked through with a couple of aurors flanking her and her niece. Tonks felt it was a slight abuse of power to use her position to have her niece escorted that way and others thought along the same lines but didn't see anything terribly offensive about it. Most of them didn't see the second small head of black hair in the mass of aurors who cloaks billowed around a little more than they should have. But Tonks noticed for a second a light glinting off a pair of glasses about waist level and realized that Madame Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had just smuggled Harry Potter onto the Hogwarts express.

Tonks felt safe in the knowledge that Harry Potter was able to get past all the opportunistic vultures and calmly got on the train to find a nice spot to relax for the 8-hour train ride. She didn't see Harry again until his sorting. "_I know he's been abused, but he's still small for his age," _Tonks thought as she watched Harry come up to the chair and the sorting hat placed on his head. _"Looks like he's muttering something," _she realized as she saw his lips moving. She clapped when the hat sorted him into Gryffindor, she felt he'd be well received there, they were a rowdy bunch and might not treat him like he was made of glass like her house would after everyone got to read about how the muggles had treated him.

Nymphadora, like everyone, listened to the rumors that ran around the school and with someone like Harry Potter, they changed hourly. So she was having trouble piecing together what was true or not, but she did hear whispers from some people who mentioned potions, she brushed it off as nervousness about going into the dungeons with Professor Snape, his attitude had changed drastically and no one really knew how to react to it.

Everything came to a head on the first Friday of the school year, she had been eating dinner in the Great Hall when she and everyone else noticed Harry Potter stand up and start trying to walk away, his gait wide and his every step unsteady. Suddenly he doubled over and began to vomit blood onto the floor of the Great Hall. Panic quickly ensued among the students as the professors rushed over and removed him from the hall.

He wasn't seen again until the following Monday, however the breakfast that Saturday was tense as every student had been ordered into the Great Hall, extra early. Dumbledore did not look happy in the slightest, his normally bright features darkened, and it made the room feel colder as his gaze swept across the students.

"Some of you may be wondering what has happened to young Mister Potter-Black," Albus started as he saw people nodding. "We have stabilized him and were able to remove the contents of his stomach. Severus Snape, one of Britain's finest potions master, has identified no less than seventeen doses of amortentia, nine doses of loyalty potion, three separate poisons and a few drops of basilisk venom. Now the only savings grace is that the concoction of potions had been so varied they had managed to cancel out the worst effects, but this was well beyond a lethal dose for any living creature to ingest, it was only the expert care from our nurse and potions master that they were able to neutralize and treat him," Albus stated as the assembled students varied reactions rolled across their faces.

"The only reason that those responsible for this heinous act have not been brought forward is that again, the reason mister Potter-Black was able to survive, the mixture destroyed any evidence that could be used to place identities to their brewer," Albus continued. "As such a few emergency changes were proposed and brought to the governing board and were approved unanimously. From now on, no personal House Elves will be allowed in the kitchens, as the examination has determined Mr. Potter-Black's food had been tampered with. Secondly Amortentia has been added to the list of contraband items and under no circumstances will be allowed on the grounds. Loyalty potions are being restricted and any usage must be done under the supervision of Madame Pomfrey as I know some families have long standing agreements with each other."

"As for the poisons, those have always been banned. Most importantly whoever has the basilisk venom, may want to reconsider keeping it in their possession, as should it be discovered to be yours, a long stay in Azkaban awaits you," Albus warned darkly. "Now, you may all sit and attend to breakfast and think on the changes to the rules."

Tonks fell heavily into her seat. "Holy shit, he almost died," she realized. "Our lord Black, I mean, Harry Potter almost died, and mom would be devastated." She took the next few days to come up with a course of action.

* * *

Harry came too in the hospital wing for the second time in the last few weeks. "What happened," he said groggily as he sat up.

Madame Pomfrey came bustling out of her office once Harry began to stir. "Mr. Potter-Black, please remain in the bed. You had a terrible accident," she calmly said as she pushed him back onto the mattress. "As for what happened," she responded to his question. She made sure that there were listening charms around the beds incase someone who was too weak tried to call out for her. "Some people tried to dose you with potions."

"Who," Harry followed up with the obvious question.

"Unfortunately we don't know, so many people tried it that it covered up any traces of the crime," Madame Pomfrey shamefully told him. That it had been less than a week and people were making attempts on his life and she couldn't even tell him who they were.

"Oh," Harry muttered. He tightly gripped the clean white bedsheets. "So what now," he asked.

"I don't know Mr. Potter," Madame Pomfrey admitted.

"That's okay," Harry sighed. "Can I go now," he asked.

"Not for a while Mr. Potter," Madame Pomfrey answered. "I need to make sure there are no residual effects of having that many potions in your system at once.

Harry glumly looked down and nodded his head. "I was happier in the cupboard," he muttered.

"Why would you say that," Madame Pomfrey gasped at how the child would seemingly prefer an abusive home to Hogwarts.

"I knew what I was and my place, it was the same. Here, I'm suddenly a wizard, I don't know anyone and now people are trying to kill me," Harry rolled over on the bed, facing away from the nurse.

Madame Pomfrey hated the position she was placed in, she had taken an oath to help her patients and here was one she would be harming by sending him back out into the general population of the school. It was only hours ago that they had gotten him from severely life threatening to stable and now she worried what would happen to him if he was to be reintroduced to the student population. She realized she would need to take a stand, securely locking the hospital wing in a way that only she could quickly undo she stormed through the castle to the staff meeting that always took place at the end of the first week. "Albus, we need to make some changes," she said as she entered the room.

"Poppy, how is Young Harry," Albus asked.

"Stable and depressed," Poppy said as she sat in an open seat. "We need to do something, because I will NOT be releasing Mr. Potter from the hospital wing if things remain the same."

"Yes, we have created a plan to prevent an incident like this from happening again," Albus said. "We're going to change centuries old rules and force the Board of Governor's to accept them."

"And what about the students," Poppy asked. "The boy has no friends and I would wager now it will be even more difficult for him to connect with others because he won't know if they would be trying to kill or control him."

Minerva hit her head on the table. "Why does it have to be him," Minerva sighed. "Of all the students, hasn't he suffered enough."

"I-I-I, th-think tha-that," Quirrel spoke up. "We-we-we sh-should, pr-privately tu-tutor him," he offered.

Albus leaned back in his chair. "As much as that would protect him during class time, it would only further isolate him from any potential friends he could make," the headmaster countered. "And I would say the boy will need them dearly if he is to be a part of this world," he finished.

"There are few people he could trust, I can't even be sure my own house is innocent in the attack on Mr. Potter," Minerva said.

Snape spoke up. "Then we just watch him carefully, I'm certain that those who wish ill will not stop just because the first plan failed, they would try again later and might coordinate."

"Speaking from experience Severus," Flitwick shot towards the former death eater.

Standing up from his chair Snape stormed out of the room. "I don't have to sit here and be slandered."

"Please, we need to work together," Pomona said. "And it isn't unhelpful to know how some might attack."

"Fine, I am sorry, I will apologize to him at the next chance I get," Filius sulked in his chair.

"So the plan is to just watch him for the next few days and see what happens then," Hagrid asked. "Seems a bit, I dunno."

"Yes, I understand, it does seem like we wouldn't be doing much Hagrid," Albus agreed. "But until something changes, we can't just act rashly or be seen playing favorites, we do need to remain impartial."

* * *

And that change happened quickly. Before anyone could make a move on the next Monday after the early morning classes Tonks had fallen in step next to him. "My Lord Potter-Black, my name is Nymphadora Tonks and I want to help you," she said as she kept his pace and didn't flinch as people gawked at her brazenness.

"Why," Harry asked tiredly, not even caring if this new person meant him harm, so he didn't raise the alarm at a strange older woman following him.

"Because you mean a lot to my family," Tonks answered. "My mother was a Black, and she recognizes you as the new Lord Black, so I have to as well and some people tried to kill you, I can't let that happen. I'm going to be escorting you to your classes from now on," she informed him.

"Okay," Harry shrugged as he continued his steady pace to the greenhouses.

Pomona saw the odd sight and let Harry into the room with his classmates before stopping one of her seventh years. "Nymphadora," she said firmly, choosing to use the girls first name instead of the preferred Tonks to ensure she knew this was serious. "What exactly are you doing with Mr. Potter."

"He's the Lord Black, my mother, disowned as she is, seems to still consider him our lord, as such I have to keep him safe," Nymphadora answered, even not being raised as a pureblood she knew the customs and how that world worked. "It would be a dishonor to not protect him."

Pomona looked her in the eye, before slowly nodding, "Very well, I'll hold you to that," she said before she shut the door. "Okay class, today we are working with Dittany," she happily informed her class.

For Harry he found Tonks waiting outside the door of the Greenhouse as soon as classes ended and he wondered how she got here so quickly. "So what's your next class, Lord Potter-Black," Tonks asked.

"Um, potions," Harry said as he started to walk, Tonks keeping a constant vigil. "Um, it's just Harry, I'm not that important or anything Nymphadora."

"You are very important," she replied stopping herself from telling him off for using her first name. "Not just to my family either," Tonks said as the pair walked along the grounds. "Do you know why you are important?"

Harry shrugged as they passed through the open archway leading into the school. "Not really. Some people, like you, call me Potter-Black though," Harry guessed. "I don't know who the Black family is."

"It's a long story but," Tonks struggled to articulate how he inherited that name. "Your father, James Potter, was best friends with a man named Sirius Black. He was your godfather and was supposed to take care of you if anything happened to your parents."

"Why didn't he," Harry asked as they stopped behind a group of other students waiting outside the potion's classroom.

"They, the Wizengamot," Tonks cringed as she recalled the story. "They had him executed, wrongly. They thought he betrayed your parents to the Dark Lord and he was innocent."

"That's wrong," Harry stated.

"I thought so to, and I guess there was some issue and you got stuck with, you know," she coughed into her fist trying to gloss over his placement for the last decade.

"So if they hadn't screwed up then I wouldn't have been sent to the Dursleys," Harry snarled as his hair whipped around from the winds created by his out of control emotions.

"Maybe, there was another issue but I don't really understand all of it, only Dumbledore would know how to explain everything. So to be fair, I won't try to and accidentally give you the wrong information," Tonks said calmingly as she gently rubbed Harry's back.

Exhaling deeply Harry let go of his building anger and the pressure he was exuding with his magic lessened. "Nymphadora, I just have one question then."

"What is it Harry," Tonks replied, hoping it was far easier to explain.

"You said my dad was James Potter," Harry started, waiting for Nymphadora to respond. When she nodded, he continued, "Then what was my mother's name?"


	4. Chapter 4

After the most awkward conversation of her life, Nymphadora managed to find some way to make it through the rest of the day escorting Lord Potter-Black to each of his classes, that once she had brought him back to the Gryffindor common room, she hurried as quickly as she could back to the Hufflepuff common room. She needed to make a floo call.

All modes of magical transportation into and out of Hogwarts was carefully monitored as only the professor's private floos could bring someone in or out of the building, while only the headmaster was able to apparrate or create a portkey that worked on the school grounds. However, one function that was available was using the floo to make calls. It was typically used by some students who needed to call someone and could not wait to send and receive an owl. Tonks saw that the common room was nearing empty except for a few of the more studious students who were finishing up Tonks knelt by the fire and threw in some powder.

"Holy shit, mom, dad, are you there," she called out into the dark parlor of Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

"Filthy Halfblood," Kreacher sneered as he wandered into the room. "What's being you want?"

"I need to speak to my parents about the new Lord Black it is urgent," Nymphadora said hoping that the topic being the Lord Black that Kreacher would listen and not waste time.

"Kreacher will bring Madame Tonks and her filthy mudblood to the parlor," Kreacher said as he waddled off.

"Nymphadora what's wrong," Andromeda said as she entered the room.

"Oh mom you were right," Nymphadora said. "It's awful, I can't believe it," her emotions roiling as it became harder for her to explain the situation.

"Calm down Nymphadora," Ted said as he sat on the couch opposite the fireplace. "Take a breath and then tell us what's wrong."

After taking a moment to collect herself, Nymphadora started to explain everything that was going on in the school over the last few days. "He, he didn't even know his parent's names," she said as tears streaked down her face.

"We have to do something," Andromeda declared firmly.

"But what can we do, he's in Hogwarts, he should be as safe as it gets," Ted questioned.

"Not safe enough if students are trying to assassinate him there," Andromeda huffed. "Nymphadora you are doing a good job protecting him, please keep doing that while I send a few letters," she said as she left to go to the study.

"I'll look through some of my medical texts and see if I can find anything that might help him," Ted added on as he left the room.

Before Nymphadora could pull her head out, Kreacher was suddenly in her face. "So, filthy students want to kill the Lord Black," Kreacher asked.

"It seems that way," Nymphadora admitted as she couldn't think of another way to describe the situation.

"Filthy muggles hurt the Lord Black didn't they," his fanged and gnarled teeth forming a crooked smile.

"Yeah, I'm sure you read the paper that got mom all worked up," she said hoping that the deranged house elf would get to the point.

Cackling to himself he waggled a finger. "I knows about many books that the old masters used to get revenge, it be's dark magic, but will protect the Lord Black."

"I can't use dark magic, that's wrong," Nymphadora gasped.

"No be's teaching the Lord Black, only the Lord Black may use the spells," Kreacher hissed.

"That's even worse," Nymphadora cried out and was readying herself to leave the floo when Kreacher stopped her.

"It be's worse than he dies or becomes a slave," Kreacher hummed knowingly.

"No, but, grr, filthy thing," Nymphadora growled. "I won't teach him the dark arts, I will just keep him safe."

"Be warned, students not biggest threat to Lord Black in school," Kreacher ominously said as Nymphadora severed the connection.

"Blasted crazy house elf," Nymphadora huffed as she went up to the girl's dorm to turn in for the night.

* * *

For the next couple of weeks, one could not find Harry Potter without his "bodyguard" in tow. It drew some snickers and giggles, but no one pressed the issue, because after Draco Malfoy scampered away like a scared kitten, it was deemed not worth it to try and get past the metamorph.

"I'm warning you cousin," Nymphadora said. "Unless you want everyone in the school to find out about how your mum would bring you over in the summer and what you liked to do," she barred her teeth that she hand turned into fangs at the now terrified blonde. "Don't be a posh shithead."

"Wa-wait ti-til my fa-father hears abou-about this," Draco nervously said as he started backing away, knowing he was treading a dangerous line.

"Uncle Lucy will do nothing," Nymphadora said as she morphed her face into that of her uncles. "Because little Draco, he doesn't want to be embarrassed when it comes out that he went down to the Hog's Head and spouted how much he loves his secret muggle boyfriend to everyone, will he?" she returned her features to their natural look and nodded at her cousin who slowly nodded back.

"R-right, he wouldn't," Draco said as he ushered Crabbe and Goyle the opposite direction so they could get away from his cousin.

After that Tonks didn't have too many problems when it came to escorting Harry to his classes, he had taken to the routine easily enough, even if many times he would just be quiet as they walked through the castle. But nothing ever remains peaceful for long. The latest and most pressing issue was that a troll had managed to get into the school on Halloween and Tonks wasn't able to get to Harry since her prefect had directed her down towards the Hufflepuff common room. It was only hours later when Pomona had summoned Tonks to her office to relay to her what had happened.

* * *

"Mr. Potter is in the hospital wing," she sighed.

"What, how, who, why," Tonks exclaimed at the bluntness of the situation.

"It seems that he noticed one of the other Gryffindor students in his year had not been at the feast and overheard she had been in the bathroom so he, snuck away from the group to go and collect her," Pomona explained. "In a way it made sense, the troll was supposed to be in the dungeon and yet, out of everywhere in the school it chose the one place that Mr. Potter was going."

"That's not a coincidence," Tonks realized.

"However minor, it is possible that it was just unfortunate luck, but yes, the odds of a fully grown mountain troll sneaking out of the dungeons, past dozens of other rooms, remaining out of the sight of other students and faculty who were actively looking for it, and coming across the one room where two lone students were," Pomona reasoned.

"The Chudley Cannons would have a better chance winning the World Cup seven times in a row," Tonks huffed as she concluded that this was a deliberate attack. "So how bad was it?" she asked.

"Well Ms. Granger didn't sustain any injuries, but Mr. Potter broke quite a number of bones in the altercation, it likely would have resulted in both of their deaths had he not distracted the troll long enough for Ms. Granger to get help," Pomona answered.

"Damn bloody hero," Tonks huffed.

"I do hope this does not become a regular occurrence with Mr. Potter, Poppy is about ready to quarantine him in the hospital wing and not allow anyone near the poor thing," Pomona chuckled.

"I need some time to think," Tonks said as she stood up. "Can you let me know when he'll be released so I can go back to walking him to his classes?"

"Of course," Pomona smiled at how loyal one of her sprouts was being.

* * *

Tonks sat on a couch looking at the fireplace her mind buzzing with half-baked ideas and concerns. Slowly she rose from her seat and threw in a pinch of floo powder. "Kreacher," Tonks called out to the darkened living room.

"Yes, filthy half-blood," Kreacher grinned.

"Get the books, Lord Black was attacked again," Tonks told the deranged house elf.

"As you wish," the elf bowed low before disappearing and reappearing with a dark leather-bound tome. "What's be happening at the school?" Kreacher asked, so Tonks went on to explain how a troll had gotten into the school and that Harry nobly went off to save the person. "Whys being Lord Black saving a filthy mudblood, risking his life for them."

"Noblesse Oblige," Tonks muttered in frustration.

"Beggings pardon," Kreacher said in confusion as he'd no idea what those words were.

"It's the obligation of the nobility," Tonks said. "Such as a king is obligated to protect his kingdom, a noble, such as Lord Black has expectations on how he acts. Apparently to him, it involves protecting everyone else around him," she hissed in annoyance at Harry's good nature.

"Hmph," Kreacher sneered. "Lord Black is just being proving he is too good for them," the loyal house elf said.

"Maybe," Tonks half-agreed.

"Kreacher be's sending book to filthy half-blood to teach Lord Black to protect himself and destroy his enemies," Kreacher said as he hobbled away.

* * *

The next morning a particularly weighted down owl landed in front of Tonks, holding a dark, leather bound tome and some letters. She carefully and quickly stuffed the book in her robes so no one could see or question it as she then started to read the letters.

"Dear Nymphadora," letting her know right away it was from her mother. "I have gotten in contact with your aunt Narcissa, unfortunately she is unable to do anything to help at this moment," which caused Tonks to scoff as she would have been more surprised if the Malfoy's did anything to help. "What few of Lily and James' remaining old friends have sent me letters asking for more details about the situation Lord Black is in, but it's not looking good for him."

That detail however was surprising as she would have thought the friends of the Potters would have bent over backwards to help, but then she remembered most of those people died during the war or in the case of James Potters friends; Just thinking about the marauders was enough to make her depressed as that situation was one of the worst cases of betrayal she'd ever heard of, they still haven't found Peter Pettigrew, even after all these years.

Shaking herself from her thoughts she returned to reading the letter from her mother. "You are still his only source of help this year at Hogwarts, please, keep the Lord Black safe," Nymphadora could almost feel the concern wafting off the writing as she knew how seriously her mother was taking this.

She set that letter aside and took a deep breath to calm herself before opening the next letter, this time from her father. "Dear Nymmie," just reading that pet name alone made her grit her teeth but she pressed on. "I suspect from what I could glean from the papers that Lord Potter-Black did not grow up healthy, obviously, but if when you next see Madame Pomfrey ask if she has begun treatment for malnutrition and other possible side effects of his upbringing. Because I have some texts that recommend some potions that might be a bit more obscure if she is willing to take the advice."

"Shit," Tonks hissed angrily as she realized that she never saw Harry drink a potion since she started escorting him or taking him to the hospital wing for any doses, meaning he either never spoke up about it or that he had never started them and she didn't know which would be worse.

The last couple of letters were from some friends who had graduated already and a couple of responses to inquiries about jobs, until she was left with two. The first a letter from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, a letter she had been expecting for weeks. Her hopes and dreams about being an auror, right in her hand, if she responded to it. However, the last letter, written in chicken scratch, from Kreacher, because no one else would address a letter to the, "half-blood whore".

Sighing she opened the letter and started to read, despite his poor penmanship the letter was surprisingly legible.

"Dear Half-Blood Whore," She muttered spitefully. "I's be telling Mistress what yous telling me, she be appalled, she said many swears about the school and mudbloods but it's being too long to write in letter. She be saying that iffing you are protecting Lord Black, you's at least know your duty. She's be saying that if yous want to do job well, then Lord Black must be learning the Dark Arts, if Lord Black has being deciding to protect the school."

After scrolling down the letter and ignoring the insults the deranged elf wrote, Tonks came to understand that the painting of Walburga had given instructions to Kreacher to provide her with aid should she need it to protect Harry, and part of that was to teach him the Dark Arts, which was still something she had been debating on. She knew the spells in the tome she had just hidden weren't your average dark arts, some of the dark arts could even be argued to have good uses, if highly specific, it would be weird but not illegal for one to know or have a book on some of them.

However this book, she knew nothing in it had a good use, they were made for pain, to cause suffering and death, the spells in this tome were all ones that most forgot even existed. The Black family was old, very old, and it earned its name and place as a dark family in the fourteenth century for unleashing a pestilence upon the muggles, it was so devasting that even the ministry was unable to cover it up entirely. They called it the Black Death, and since then no witch or wizard had ever come close to causing that number of casualties.

She shuddered as she remembered the very stern talking to her mother had given her for even reaching for one of those books in the library as a young girl. And here she sat, with possibly the worst one, debating if teaching what it held to an eleven-year-old was a good idea.

A few whispered conversations drew her attention. "Hey there she is, that muggleborn girl that Harry Potter saved from the mountain troll," someone pointed across the room as the small mousey haired brunette slowly walked into the Great Hall and sat at the end of the table far away from anyone else in her house.

Seeing an opportunity Tonks quickly moved from the Hufflepuff table and sat down in front of Hermione. "Wotcher," Tonks said startling the younger girl who hadn't expected anything.

"Oh, here to make fun of me too," Hermione sighed as she poked her breakfast.

"Don't think so, how would you feel like answering some questions," Tonks asked.

"Sure," Hermione muttered as she prodded her breakfast.

"Why did Lord Black have to come and find you?" Tonks asked.

"Because, I have no friends," Hermione sniffled.

"Lord Black doesn't have friends," Tonks commented.

"He has you, and he's Harry Potter, a beloved hero," Hermione said angrily. "We aren't the same."

"In his first week Lord Black had numerous people attempt to assassinate or drug him," Tonks hissed. "After his mother and father were murdered, he lived his life in a bloody cupboard under the stairs and was used as slave labor by his closest family. You're right, you two are not the same." Noticing that the brunette had flinched, Tonks sighed. "But neither of you have friends, be one for him."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"I can't be around him all the time and next year, when I'm not here, I'd like it if there was _someone_ who could try to look out for him," Tonks explained. "And a muggleborn student won't have the same ties that the other students would."

"Such as," Hermione glanced up at Tonks.

"Blood, money, politics," Tonks said. "Like you said he's the beloved hero, that makes him valuable."

"And I couldn't find him valuable," Hermione said incredulously.

"Not in the same way someone like Theodore Nott could," she pointed behind her at the student in question. "His father runs an apothecary, with Lord Blacks votes and name, he could pass numerous bills that could give his company more control and wealth just by other people thinking that Lord Black is supporting it."

"I get it," Hermione nodded as she was a smart girl and could see that she would not be as ingrained into the society, business and politics to use someone like Harry or even know what she should use him for. "I'll do it, he saved my life the least I can do to pay it back, is to have his back."

"Great," Tonks smiled, happy that she was able to recruit the young lady. "I'm hoping he can be released today," she said as she headed out of the Great Hall and made her way towards the hospital wing.

* * *

"Who's there," Poppy called out as she heard her door open.

"Just Tonks ma'am," Tonks said loudly. "I came to check on Lord Black."

"He's not getting out until tomorrow," Poppy said as she folded her arms, she like the rest of the staff were aware of Tonks self-imposed duty towards the young boy, which meant she felt safe providing this information. "Now, is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked, hoping to get the girl out quickly.

"I wanted to know if he was on a regimen to treat his past injuries or mistreatment, my dad said he had some ideas if you wanted to hear them," Tonks shrugged.

"Ah yes, Ted," Poppy said. "Good man, very proficient at his craft, and no, Harry isn't on any potions, he doesn't need them."

"What?!" Tonks exclaimed. "How could he not need them, I read that awful paper, there's no way he would be fine after all of that."

"As shocking as it is, he is a perfectly healthy young man, what is alarming is I don't know why that to be true," Poppy sighed. "He should be a mess and yet, he's almost completely healed up from the troll attack. I just want to keep him another night to make sure nothing else happens."

"If you say so," Tonks said as she left the hospital wing. "How could he not need them," she wondered as she headed to the library, she would need to read up on some texts to try and figure out what could be behind Lord Black's amazing ability to recover.

Harry had been sitting awake in the bed, listening to the conversation as he lifted up his still broken arm, slowly he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he could feel the bones forced back together and the cracks sealing themselves.

The next morning Harry was released from the hospital wing and he found Tonks already standing there ready to get him, however in addition, there was a second person with her. "He-hello, my name is Hermione Granger, we uh met when you saved me, from the troll," she said meekly.

"I remember, did you um, are you alright," Harry asked.

"No, I didn't get any injuries, but you did, so I want to show you gratitude," Hermione said with a nod.

"I don't really need gratitude, anyone should have done it," Harry scratched his head.

"But you did and so, I just, ugh," Hermione stamped her foot. "Look mister, you saved my life the least I can do to repay you is to be a friend," she said forcefully before she realized that she was letting her bossiness assume control which was partly the reason she understood as to why she had no friends in her year. "I mean, if you'd like," she softly said hoping that Harry wouldn't refuse her.

"Okay, that sounds, nice," Harry smiled at the brunette.

"Well that was awkward," Tonks interrupted. "Lord Black, did Madame Pomfrey clear you for classes?"

"Yeah but she said I'm not to go flying in case I get lightheaded," Harry said as he fell into the normal routine, this time with a third person following along with them.

"I have notes from the classes that you missed while you were out," Hermione interjected. "I can help you study so you don't fall behind."

"Oh, thank you, I'm a little worried about defense against the dark arts, Quirrel is a bit strange and it's kind of hard to understand him when he stutters," Harry said gratefully.

Hermione suppressed a giggle as she inwardly agreed that the teachers speech impediment did make the class a fair bit more difficult than the others.

Tonks walked behind the pair silently as she listened to their conversation. Her greatest concern was how she was going to explain to Harry what she wanted to teach him.


	5. Chapter 5

Tonks had asked for Harry to follow her one afternoon when there were no classes between the two of them. "Lord Black, I want to ask you a very important question." Tonks started.

Slowly Harry nodded, he had figured that at some point his guardian would ask something of him, so this was what he expected.

"I, have this book," Tonks started as she pulled out the black leather-bound tome. "It's, one of my families, I guess, your family now." she chuckled as she realized that this now did rightly belong to Harry. "In it are some, bad spells." Cringing as she tried not to think of the weight she was putting on a young child's shoulders.

"Okay." Patiently waiting for her to further explain what she was doing.

"Lord Black, these are the dark arts, and I think, you might need to know them, to keep you safe," she explained.

"Safe from what?" Harry inquired as he saw how nervous Tonks was.

"The other student, monsters, people," Tonks tried to answer. "I shouldn't be doing this." she said quietly before she jumped when Harry gently placed his hand on her leg.

"Nymphadora, if you think I need to know this, there is nothing wrong with taking a look, right?"

"Actually that's part of the problem, I can't look." Tonks said as she hung her head.

"Why not?" Harry wondered as to why she couldn't look.

"It's family magic, I couldn't read the words or see the drawings even if you shoved the book in my face." Tonks answered. "It's sort of like a Fidelius, a powerful charm to hide things."

"So this is dangerous magic that you want to teach me to keep me safe?"

"Yes, Lord Black, it's very dangerous."

"But you think I need to know it?"

"Maybe."

"Then help me learn, if I don't need it, I won't use it, but if I do, then at least I won't be defenseless anymore." Harry smiled at Nymphadora for thinking about his safety that much that she was willing to do something that made her uncomfortable.

* * *

Throughout November, Harry's free time was in unused classrooms away from prying eyes. This led to the creation of a number of rumors about the intentions of Nymphadora Tonks but she ignored them, their words only informing her exactly how vicious her schoolmates were. It cemented in her that she had been right to not get romantically involved with them as they were saying some truly despicable things about her.

Hermione was not in much better shape either, after being seen walking around with Harry and Tonks, some of the other girls had figured she was offering the young lord favors for saving her. It infuriated her that people assumed that she was like that and that Harry was like that as well. She learned that Harry never had a mean word to say about anyone, he was incredibly patient as she helped him with his homework even when she would be a bit bossy towards him.

The end result was that Hermione had ended up further retracting from her other housemates, she realized that she didn't need a lot of friends, not like the other kids she knew growing up, she just needed good friends. So she had continued to follow Harry and see his lessons with Tonks.

Her first instinct upon hearing the intended lesson plan was shock and horror and to drag Harry away from the other girl and report her to the teachers. However, she realized that she could be wrong as she had been before. While Harry had cracked open the book, Hermione asked why Tonks was doing this.

"The Dark Arts, they aren't, all bad," Tonks slowly said as she chose her words carefully. "It's just they are, stronger." Knowing that description wasn't very helpful in explaining what she meant.

"It's not the same, I mean, Diffindo, a charm you learn this year, it cuts things, but Lacero is also a cutting spell, but it's a curse." Tonks tried using those spells as an example. "It's not that you couldn't kill someone with the first, but it's easier with the second spell."

"So for the Dark Arts they are just harder to get the results you want?" Hermione questioned as while Defense Against the Dark Arts talked about spells you could use to protect yourself the lectures haven't exactly gone over what those spells were yet.

"No, some are very easy," Tonks rubbed her light blue hair. "There's a spell used by healers to restart the heart, sounds like a good one to know?"

"Yeah, I could see that being very necessary for a healer." Hermione nodded as she agreed.

"It was a curse made to stop peoples hearts, just if you used it a second time it started it back up," Tonks continued.

"So some of the spells used are Dark but they have light uses as well," Hermione said in awe.

"Yes, it's complicated, in Durmstrang, another wizarding school, they teach the Dark Arts alongside the Defense, they believe you have to know how to do something to properly defend against it."

"And what Harry is learning?" Hermione inquired.

"These." Sighing, Tonks looked away ashamed. "These spells are truly dark though, these have no other use than to cause pain, suffering and death. The Black family, they are the quintessential dark family. I wouldn't even consider the idea of doing this but, Harry, he's been here two bloody months and has nearly died twice already. I don't like it, but I would rather he be able to protect himself or others with overwhelming force than rely on luck next time."

"That's completely-" quieting herself before she said something rude Hermione sat and watched as Harry started to whip his wand around. This discussion was clearly not a topic that could easily be summed up in a single afternoon, she realized.

* * *

"Ms. Granger," Minerva called out to one of her lion cubs after she ended class. "Would you please stay behind for a moment."

Hermione waved off Harry who waited to see if she wanted him to stay behind. "It's fine, I'll see you in Charms Harry." she smiled as Harry left to be escorted to his next lesson.

"I wanted to speak with you about the incident last week." Minerva said as she motioned for the twelve year old girl to sit. "To see how you are doing."

"I am, okay," Hermione answered honestly, she had been very shook up from the ordeal but after being around Harry and Tonks she was feeling better than she had the last two months, all because she had friends.

Minerva smiled. "I am very happy to hear that. I have noticed that you are spending quite a bit of time with Mr. Potter. May I ask how that is?"

Nodding slowly, instead of blurting out an answer Hermione carefully thought about what to say, that didn't violate her friends' privacy. "It was actually Tonks ma'am, she's very dedicated to Harry. But Harry is also a very easy person to get along with and I think the both of them will be very good friends for me."

"Quite, I have heard some rumors though."

"All of them are false and the people who say them are horrible, awful people," Hermione sharply interrupted her professor. She was sick of the looks she got, the words people said just on the edge of her earshot. And so her response was bitter and frustrated. "Will that be all professor?"

"Yes, quite," Minerva sighed having suspected that bringing up the topic would cause some animosity. "Have a nice day Ms. Granger." she said to her student who hurried to the next class.

* * *

"So do we intervene?" Filius asked at the staff meeting they were having about the last couple of months. He had been speaking about the current topic, Lord Potter-Black and the two young ladies who followed him around.

"Currently, Ms. Tonks denies any and all allegations of 'wrongdoing'," Pomona hissed. "With Mr. Potter."

"As does Ms. Granger," Minerva added. "She was quite cross with me even bringing up the subject."

"His school work has improved in my class when they work together," Severus commented. "I am unsure if I should allow them to pair up as often as they do."

"P-p-p-Potter, is d-d-d-doing, s-sh-shockingly good," Quirrel stuttered out as he wondered what changed. He knew it was more than just a bright young witch helping him with his homework, even if a seventh-year was assisting something was changing with that damnable child but he couldn't place what it was.

"On a different topic. The first game of Quidditch begins tomorrow, Slytherin vs. Gryffindor." Aurora Sinestra said happily. "It's going to be quite nice to see how the teams play this year."

"I don't know, Minerva, how's the new seeker," Severus slyly grinned. He knew that the current Seeker for Gryffindor was barely able to fill the position, while the rest of the team could be considered adequate, that key role was the clear weaklink.

"You just mind your own fliers Severus," Minerva turned up her nose. "My lions will win the cup this year, I'm certain of it."

* * *

Near the end of November was the first match of the season. The students had come out to the stadium, as there was very little else to do that day. So they bundled up and sat in the stands to support their houses. Or in the case of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw to root against the Slytherins.

"I don't really much care for sports, this seems like it would be a waste of time," Hermione sulked as Madame Pince came out for the game and thus kicked out the students from the library.

"Think of it, as learning more about wizarding, sorry magical," Harry corrected as Hermione felt that the term wizarding was exclusive. "Culture. It's a sport native to the people here. Think about it that way and you might enjoy it, or at least how the people act."

"I guess," Hermione smiled softly, she did like the idea of learning more about the culture of the world she was in and there were entire fields of study to understanding the entertainment and games of other civilizations.

"Just kind of wish we could sit with Nymphadora." Harry sighed as he wasn't particularly interested in the game either, flying around on a broom was fun during flying lessons, but he couldn't really see himself making a game of it with rules and points.

"Harry, I wanted to ask you something." Hermione remembered something she had wondered.

"Hmm," Harry hummed as he politely clapped when the teams came out, going along with the crowd.

"You call Tonks, by her first name, and she doesn't get mad at you, but, everyone else has to call her by her last name, why is that?" As Hermione had tried to say Nymphadora and the older girl got really defensive about it. She could easily see that was a button she didn't want to push, and yet Harry never got scolded. It was a mystery.

"I don't know," Harry answered. "I never thought about that," his shoulders slumping. "I've probably been annoying her when I do it too, huh."

"I wouldn't say that, maybe it's just different with you. She does only call you Lord Black after all." Hermione said as no one else used that title with the boy, except for Tonks.

Harry thought on that for a moment as the reasoning was sound but he knew he would need to talk to Nymphadora about it and if she wanted him to stop he would. "I guess, I should definitely DUCK!" Harry shouted as he tackled Hermione and the person behind them to the ground as a bludger careened into the stands.

"And a bludger goes wide into the stands, did anyone see who hit it?" Lee Jordan commented as the Gryffindors got back up. "I thought the stands were charmed to have the bludgers avoid them?" Lee asked McGonagall next to him, covering the microphone with his hand which muffled the question.

Nodding. "They are supposed to be, as long as it is a one time incident in the match, it should be fine, afterwards Rolanda and Filius will take a look to see if maybe something interfered with the stands or the bludger itself, it could be time to redo the spellwork."

"That's interesting to know," Lee nodded as that was a good answer. "Wait, where is that bludger. It should have come back by now?" he said into the device.

Rolanda stepped out onto the field and fired up an Orange spark, signaling a referee timeout, halting the game. "We are missing a bludger. Does anyone-" she started to ask before the Gryffindor stands erupted into shouts and screams as the heavy iron ball shot through the crowd again.

Students dived out of the way to avoid the fast moving object until it became quite clear that the ball had a target. "Oh bloody hell," Nymphadora swore as she could see it from her seat that this was another attempt on Harry's life. "Ange," Nymphadora shouted to the person on a broom nearest her.

"What," the chaser turned to see who called her.

"Give me your broom." Nymphadora demanded as she waved her hand wanting the girl to get closer to the stands.

"Alright." The chaser agreed and floated closer. "Ollie, we have a bludger attacking students, our housemates."

Oliver shook his head for a moment. "Right, Fred, George, what are you waiting for, use those bats." pointing at the bludger as it slammed through the stands.

"On it," the twins shouted back as they rushed in to beat off the iron ball.

Harry toss Hermione off towards Hagrid, she had been following him and trying hit the bludger with whatever spell she could think of but it kept missing. He was glad she was trying to help but she was putting herself in danger. In a dead on sprint Harry ran towards the edge of the stand as the bludger rapidly closed in on him. Taking a large leap he heard the satisfying crack of wood meeting metal as Fred smacked the bludger away from taking Harry's head off.

Only falling about a foot before Tonks caught him. "I got you Lord Black," she said as she started to get him away from the stands, she figured Harry would be faster on a broom rather than trying to run and dodge on foot. They just had to hold out until one of the professors could get close enough to take out the ball.

"Behind you Tonks," George shouted as he intercepted the ball.

"Thanks," Tonks smiled, that bought them a few more seconds to try and get closer to the professors, when suddenly the broom she was on started to buck. "Woah, hey now." she tried holding on to the wood as it did everything it could to knock her to the ground.

"Ma'am someone's cursing the broom," Lee tapped McGonagall's arm, forgetting that he had the microphone in hand. "This isn't an accident." The entire stadium hearing his words.

"I know Mr. Jordan," Minerva sighed as she drew her wand to try and counter the spell, but she was far away and counter curses was not her specialty.

Fred and George raced on their brooms to try and catch up to the bludger but it would dodge every time they swung. "Tonks look out," they shouted hoping it would be enough warning.

It wasn't.

The bludger slammed into Tonks' body as she shielded Harry from taking the hit, the blow knocking them both to the ground, thankfully the field was charmed to soften falls or else they would both be dead. But it was still jarring for them to stop suddenly.

Harry groaned as he picked himself up off the grass. "Nymphadora..." Harry called out as he saw that she wasn't moving. "Nymphadora." He said louder as he shook her on the shoulder. The only thing he could see was that she was still breathing.

"Harrikins," the twins shouted as they saw the bludger coming around for another shot at the boy on the pitch.

Snarling Harry drew his wand. "Tempestas Fulmina," Harry shouted in anger at the damnable object that hurt Nymphadora. The crowd was unable to hear the spell he incanted as the sharp crack of thunder suddenly filled the air with sickly red lightning erupted from his wand, arcing towards the flying iron object, a natural conductor as the force of the spell impacted and disintegrated the ball. Huffing from exertion Harry lowered his arm and turned back towards Nymphadora. "Please be okay." he said as the Professors finally managed to get down onto the pitch.

"I got her Mr. Potter." Poppy said as she started to work on Tonks. After a moment to stabilize the unconscious student, she began to levitate Tonks off the field and start leading her back towards the castle.

"Young Harry," Albus said as he looked down the bridge of his nose at the child before him. "What spell was that, I do not believe it's one taught by any of the professor's here."

"Family Magic sir," Harry answered as he was instructed too. If he didn't want people getting on his case about the spells he was using, he could stop any inquiries by declaring that what he was using was family magic.

"Ah, well, then I only ask that you never use that on a student." Albus said as he knew that was not a Potter spell in the slightest. He could see how anxious Harry was as he kept glancing towards Madame Pomfrey and the young Ms. Tonks. "That is all." The moment he finished the sentence Harry took off running to catch up to the nurse.

"Sir, I know that spell." Severus said to the headmaster. "It was one of Bellatrix's favorite."

"So it is dark magic then." Albus sighed as he had suspected it to be so, but this was confirmation.

"Yes, but it _is_ Family Magic," Severus added on as Bellatrix was unable to teach even the Dark Lord the spells, no matter how useful and dangerous they were. Severus was thankful for that small miracle as the Dark Lord with all the dark spells of the Black family at his disposal would have laid waste to the entire world.

"That does complicate matters a bit then," Albus said as he stroked his beard. "It seems that Nymphadora is teaching the Lord Black things I wish she wouldn't."

* * *

Opening her eyes and groaning when she sat up Tonks recognized the familiar hospital wing. "What hit me." she asked as she felt like she had been run over by a lorry.

"Nymphadora!" Harry shouted as he latched onto her, his arms wrapped around her waist. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry," he said as he held her tightly. "I shouldn't have gotten on that broom with you, then you wouldn't have been hit."

"I got hit," Tonks questioned as the blow seemed to have messed with her head a bit. "Oh right the bludger, damn. What happened?" she asked.

"The twins were trying to keep the ball away from us, but then something happened to the broom. You, took a hit for me," Harry said sadly. "You weren't moving Nymphadora." Harry sniffled. "I was scared."

"But you're okay now." Tonks asked as it didn't look like Harry had a scratch on him.

"I'm fine, but Nymphadora. You could have been really hurt, I don't want people getting hurt for me."

"Lord Black it is my du-" Tonks tried to explain.

"NO!" Harry declared with authority. "It is not okay for you to suffer, to be injured, so that I don't have to. I won't allow it."

"You think you can tell me what I can and can't do!" she shouted at Harry, angry that he would say that to her.

"If this Lord Black is to mean anything, especially to the people who care about it, then yes, I as Lord Black, forbid you from allowing yourself to come to harm for my sake." Harry said unflinchingly.

"No, no, no," Tonks shouted as she got out of the bed. "You can't do that, take it back."

"I will not, Nymphadora, I was scared for you, I thought you weren't going to be okay." Harry said to her as he tried to keep calm. He needed to be able to explain himself and not act like a child. "I care about you very much and I refuse to let those I care about get hurt. Not if I can prevent it."

"You can't order me around like that. I just won't listen." Nymphadora spat at the young boy in front of her.

"Nymphadora, do not test me on this. I will never be okay with you being hurt for my sake." Harry said firmly, stomping his foot. "If the worst happens, it's better for me to die than someone who is special and has worth like you."

"You. You absolute bastard," Tonks screamed as she stormed out of the hospital wing, her hair a fiery red, furious that Harry could say those words, let alone think them.

"Oh my," Poppy squeaked as the door slammed shut, she had heard the shouted and was going to get involved until Harry delivered an order, that was family business, she couldn't interfere until it was over.

"Madame Pomfrey," Harry sniffled as he sat on the bed. "I hurt," he said clenching his robes over his heart. "It hurt to yell at her like that. Why?"

"Because Lord Black, you care about her, and when you hurt someone you care about, you hurt yourself as well."

"I don't want to hurt her though."

"I understand. But sometimes you have to do something that hurts someone to make sure they don't get hurt later."

"I was scared Madame Pomfrey." Harry wiped his cheek. "I thought she was going to die, for me."

"Why would that scare you?" Besides the obvious this was a chance for the young boy to open up.

"Because every time someone has died for me, my life got worse. When my parents died, I was put with my relatives, when my Godfather died, I became a bigger target, if Nymphadora died..."

"What do you think would happen if she died Harry?"

"I was worried that if she died, I'd die too." he softly answered.

"What do you mean?"

"If she died, the first person I met who cared about me, I think I would want to die. I don't want to die, is that selfish?"

"Certainly not. And I can understand what you mean. My husband, when he died, in the war, I felt like a part of me died with him. The world wasn't the same, my life wasn't whole."

"I'm sorry."

"For what Harry?"

"For not stopping the war sooner."

"That wasn't your responsibility Harry." Poppy quickly said. Aghast that Harry believed it was his job to defeat the Dark Lord.

"But Nymphadora is mine. I'm Lord Black, I have a requirement to protect those in my house, not the other way around." Harry stood up. "I need to get stronger, I will not allow something like this to happen again." Declaring as he left the hospital wing.

"Oh no," Poppy sighed, she could only see this getting worse over time.


	6. Chapter 6

Over the next few weeks, there was a noticeable unease in the castle. Most, if not all of the students had seen the attack during the Quidditch match, that was a clear assassination attempt, in the open daylight of all times. And now they were well aware that Harry Potter, supposed golden boy, knew the dark arts. But what was really worrying people was that there was almost visible tension between Harry Potter-Black and Nymphadora Tonks. Neither persons were speaking to one another, Tonks just silently escorted Harry to each of his classes, no words spoken between them. However no one knew how to approach the subject.

It also took very little time for the castle to come to the conclusion that during the free times when Harry was not around, that he was practicing the dark arts in the school. This resulted in the creation of worse rumors that began to fly around the school. Previously they had been related to Nymphadora seducing Harry Potter, but now, they were believing that the metamorph was training Harry as a weapon for her own gain.

The few friends she had previously, who figured she wasn't screwing an eleven year old boy simply because they've never seen the girl interested in anyone before, weren't able to rationalize this new revelation. The house of the loyal was now ostracizing one of their own, to the despair of Pomona Sprout.

"And you're certain there is nothing that can be done?" Minerva questioned as she had a number of tomes open in front of her, all based around the expansive backlog of rules that Hogwarts had. She was busy looking for a way to intervene in what was going on that wouldn't also cause a scandal for overreach.

"Unfortunately, no," Albus sighed, he had called an emergency session to discuss the Harry Potter situation. "What he is learning is family magic, and is receiving instruction from the closest member in the family to him, we cannot interfere without just cause."

"It's dark magic Albus," Flitwick slammed his small fists on the table. "And it is not the tolerable kind either. That is the "just cause" and he has to stop!"

"I am aware, but as it is, Mr. Potter has not used it in anything more than a self-defense capacity. He has broken no laws, as even if we attempted to punish him for using dark magic on school grounds, it was to protect his own life from a clear attempt to kill him. After reporting the incident to Madame Bones, she agreed that the ruling would be overturned by the Board of Governors if Mr. Potter raised issue, let alone it reaching the Wizengamot. In addition, I cannot honestly say with certainty that it is necessarily a bad idea for him to learn these spells." Albus said his piece.

"That was filled with a lot of extraneous words Albus," Severus drawled, realizing that the headmaster was very hesitant to make a move.

"After three clear attempts to kill him, of which, we were unable to prevent a single one, and were barely successful the first time at keeping him alive." Albus put his head in his hands. "I am not sure what to do with him any longer."

"And the stone?" Trelawny inquired.

"It is currently in a hidden location, however based on recent incidents." Albus said. "I will move it some time over the holidays, when the majority of the student population is out, I fear if I do not then Mr. Potter will somehow become involved in this scheme."

"My greatest concern is how much of his own childhood mirrors that of Tom," the elderly wizard stated, memories long since buried surfacing as details lined up. "When I first met him as a child in that orphanage, he was so full of rage. I had hoped that in time, around others like himself, that it would quell that anger and turn it into a greater passion. I was wrong."

"He was clever, resourceful and he saw weakness in others, weakness that he could exploit. And he did, he was able to seduce people by using their desires against them, but it was always a lie, the power he promised would always be his own, the wealth and control, he had no intention of giving up."

"And Young Harry, the abuse he suffered, because of the mistakes we have made, mistake I have made," Albus sighed as he blamed himself most for the way Harry had been raised, left alone where he should have been safe and loved. "I do not know if Nymphadora is drawing him down a path for her own gain, if he sees her as a pawn, or if this is all a coincidence. For the first time in many years, I simply do not know what to do, but I worry that if I do not do something, then we will have another dark lord on our hands."

* * *

Harry sat in the Gryffindor common room, he was one of only a few students to remain in the castle for the holidays, and the other remaining Gryffindors, the Weasleys were giving him space. This suited him fine, he was alone, with no one there to whisper about him or run away from him. And most certainly it meant he didn't have to think about the young woman he was feuding with, nope, not now, he was free to distract himself by staring into the flickering flames of the fireplace, as they changed color, from yellows, to reds and oranges. '_Just like Nymphadora's hair would do when she got frustrated." _He thought as to how similar they were.

Shaking his head, he quickly got off the couch. _'I've been in the common room too long, I'll go practice some spells, that'll take my mind off of this.' _Harry reasoned as he pulled out a couple of text books and looked for the room he typically used.

_'It's harder to get these right without Nymphadora here to walk me through the more complex motions,' _Harry realized as he couldn't get the freezing hex to work the way he wanted it too. It was supposed to instantly turn any liquid into ice, the purpose being to solidify your opponents and then shatter them into bloody shards. _'I don't need her,'_ Harry grit his teeth. '_So what if it's more quiet without her talking, making me laugh and...' _Harry slumped to the floor. "I miss Nymphadora," he finally admitted the reason why he felt the way he did.

* * *

Meanwhile back at the Ancient House of the Blacks. Nymphadora was glaring at her presents that she had gotten for Christmas.

"She's been like that for days, something is clearly bugging her," Ted said to his wife as they watched her sitting on the couch.

Andromeda shook her head. "I can only surmise it is one thing, a boy. This is how I acted when my parents forbade me from seeing you."

"Yes, but if she said she wanted to date a werewolf I wouldn't care as long as she was happy, _this_ is not happy," Ted stated sadly as he hated seeing his daughter like this, and it was only the first time this had happened.

"And she's been out of the dating game for, well she never starting playing that particular game," Andromeda lamented. "And there is only one boy who has her attention at the moment."

"Yes, Harry Potter," Ted nodded. "So the question is, what did he do?" the father wondered what an eleven year old could have done to get his teenage daughter this emotional.

* * *

"Sweetie," Mr. Granger said as he sat at the dinner table with his daughter, there were only a few days left of the holiday, and they wanted to make the most of the time they had, but they could tell Hermione was trying to figure out something very important. "What's wrong? Is it something we can help with?" He offered as while he and his wife didn't understand magic, they were still well educated English folk and cared very much about her well being.

"I have two friends and they're fighting, I finally figured out why, but I don't know how to fix it." Hermione explained as much of the situation as she could, the attempted assassinations, how they became friends, the dark magic that Harry was using and how the other students were reacting.

"Wow, that is, very complex," Mrs. Granger whistled as they had simply expected it to be two kids having a silly argument as was normal, not life and death situations and structures of noble houses so ancient they went back to the times of Merlin.

"I know, I never thought any friend I made would be this troublesome," Hermione chuckled as before she had been in Hogwarts she had no friends, and that had been less dangerous than having friends.

"What I want to know is, are you safe?" Mr. Granger reached his hand out to his daughter's, who took it and gave him a comforting squeeze.

"Yes daddy, Harry and Tonks keep the nastier students from pestering me, and after the Quidditch match, they're more afraid of Harry now," Hermione nodded.

"Well, as much as you want to help, it doesn't seem like you can, and if this is some weird family dispute, you shouldn't," Mrs. Granger suggested as she figured it wouldn't be proper for Hermione to butt into the feud. "Instead, just be there for the both of them, people can be stubborn, children and teenagers just as much if not more so, one of them will eventually break."

"So I'm just waiting for them to make up," Hermione asked her parents who just nodded back at her. "Okay then," she said. "I wonder what Harry sent me as a gift," she said as she pulled off the wrapping from the package. "Oh my," she gasped as she saw what it was.

* * *

"How dare he, send me that..." Tonks seethed as she looked at the gorgeous jewelry Harry had sent her, the written note said. "For the first true gem in my life, these cannot compare to your beauty. You are truly unique Nymphadora, love Harry."

"Damn him," Tonks shouted as she gently set the present on the coffee table, the large necklace inlaid with numerous stones of various colors and size, like a rainbow of beauty it stared at her, her own hair swapping colors in a frenzy of mixed emotions.

* * *

"That looks very expensive," Mr. Granger commented as her daughter held up the diamond earrings. The way the gemstone caught the light made it shine brilliantly, the craftsmanship was clearly done by an expert.

"The note said this was left in his family's jewelry vault," Hermione commented as she read through the note Harry had written.

"He's rich enough to have an entire vault just for accessories," Mrs. Granger hummed appreciatively as she looked at the gift her daughter had received. "Diamonds might be a girl's best friend, but Mister Harry Potter seems to be a close second." letting out a soft laugh at her own joke.

"He keeps her safe and gives her shiny things," Mr. Granger mused. "I think I might need to have a chat with this young man." His fatherly instincts telling him to find out Harry Potter's intention with his daughter.

"Daddy," Hermione whined as she knew what her father wanted to do.

"Don't worry, he's not in any danger," Mrs. Granger waved off her daughters concern. "Your friend will still have all of his limbs."

"Harry's not the one I'm worried about," Hermione folded her arms. "You know he can throw around lightning that could probably disintegrate our car like it was nothing right?" She smirked as her father's features falters for a brief moment. "Gotcha," Hermione laughed as she hugged her parents.

"I should have known you were joking, throwing lightning," Mr. Granger tickled his daughter, feeling silly for falling for such a ludicrous statement.

"Oh, I wasn't joking about that, he blew up a bludger with a bolt of lightning," Hermione corrected. "That's a ten inch ball of iron that travels about 200 kilometers per hour and he shot it out of the sky." Hermione explained the situation. "He's just a very polite boy and wouldn't do that to you daddy."

"What is that school teaching our daughter?" Mr. Granger reeled back from that information.

"Well, Harry's learning that, of course the school wouldn't teach us dark magic," Hermione hummed as she decided to spend time with her parents and not focus on the school for the rest of the holidays.

* * *

"Harry," Hermione shouted excitedly as she returned to the Gryffindor dormitories, she had ran up the stairs to find the young black haired boy sitting by the fire, on a couch by himself, the other students had moved around him to talk to each other about their holidays. She almost launched herself at the boy when she noticed how sullen he looked.

"Hello Hermione," Harry responded as he knew the girl wanted a hug, she was a very touchy-feely person, and Harry didn't dislike the affectionate gesture. So he acquiesced and opened his arms to indicate that he was fine with giving her one.

"Thank you so much for the earrings," she said graciously as she pulled back her hair to show them off, the gemstones reflecting the light of the fire brilliantly.

"Damn," Katie Bell whistled in appreciation, seeing the jewelry out of the corner of her eye. "He gave you those as a gift?" she asked as it was not every day a girl got diamond earrings that even not being a jeweler Katie could tell were worth five thousand galleons easily. This outburst caused a few of the other girls to take notice of the expensive item.

For once Hermione was the center of attention as the girls oohed and aahed at the gift. "Jeez, maybe I should be Harry's friend if I'd get stuff like that," Lavender said as she got a tad jealous seeing how expensive the gift the homely looking girl received.

"I am NOT his friend because he gets me expensive things," Hermione angrily shouted at the vain girl. "He's a good guy and you've all been absolutely horrid to him, just because he's learning the dark arts."

"That's because the dark arts are evil, not like you'd get it," Ron sneered at the muggleborn.

"He only needs them because apparently people won't stop trying to kill him," Hermione screamed as she grabbed Harry's hand and dragged him out of the common room and up the stairs to vent. "Can you believe them, after everything you've been through, they still... gaaaah," she screamed through her teeth as her frustration at her housemates rose to an entirely new level.

Harry leaned back on his bed as he knew to just let Hermione work through her emotions as she paced back and forth, this was not the first time she had done this after hearing a rude comment from some other student. "How was your holiday?" Harry asked as Hermione ranted.

"Good, my parents are excited to meet you," Hermione said, finally calming down enough to not be loud. "They might have questioned how... appropriate, it was for their twelve year old daughter to get a gift that was more expensive than their car. Not that I didn't like it, they are lovely Harry," she quickly added on, not wanting to offend him or make him feel like he did anything wrong. "But they just worry, I told them about the troll attack, and how you were attacked at the Quidditch match. Professor McGonagall told my parents that Hogwarts was safe, but with multiple instances where some unknown person or persons have tried to kill you, they are less certain of the idea of Hogwarts."

"I get it, if I had parents they would probably be worried," Harry said sadly as he had wished many times that he wasn't an orphan, that there were people who would worry about his well being.

Hermione crawled up onto Harry's bed. "Well, you have me, I care," Hermione said, trying to cheer up Harry. "And, and, even if you didn't have me, you'll always have Tonks," Hermione said.

"Nymphadora doesn't like me anymore, I made her mad," Harry responded as he rolled over to not show his face to the girl, to not show weakness.

"Harry," Hermione rolled her eyes. "You did make her mad, but that doesn't mean she hates you."

"I can't even talk to her," Harry said, trying to prove himself right, that what was happening between him and Nymphadora was no different than all the animosity he was used to receiving from the people in his life.

"Because you're scared," Hermione pulled his shoulder to force him to look at her. "You are afraid that you'll do something bad again, because you know how you feel and you know what you want to do," Hermione said as she gave her advice.

"But what if it's the wrong thing to do?" Harry asked nervously. "I really miss Nymphadora."

"I know you do Harry, just walking with her, it's no different than being alone, so you have to take that risk," Hermione pleaded. "If you don't nothing changes."

"I don't know Hermione, please, leave me alone," Harry whimpered as he didn't want to confront his feelings at the moment. He wanted to sleep and pretend this hadn't happened, just avoid the topic even as it pained him to do so.

"I will respect your wishes Harry," Hermione said as she slid off his bed and closed the drapes around his bed. "Tonks is back in the castle and you'll see her tomorrow."

* * *

The next morning Harry quickly dressed and hurried out of the tower and headed down the stairs to the great hall. He had hoped to quickly get his breakfast and avoid the young lady that was on his every other thought, but those were dashed when he saw that she too had the same idea. "Nymphadora," Harry quietly said as he saw her digging at her food.

"Lord Black," Tonks stopped eating as she looked up at the young boy who called out to her.

Harry wanted to run away, he wanted to yell, he wanted to do something, anything but what he was doing. The soft patter of his feet carried in the nearly empty hall. Tonks only had a few moments to open her arms to embrace Harry as he slammed into her.

"Nymphadora, I'm sorry," Harry sobbed as he held her tightly. "I was wrong to order you around like that, I was just so scared and I didn't want you to get hurt anymore, please forgive me," he said as he buried his face into her stomach. "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me and not having you to talk to was awful, but what hurt the most was that I hurt you."

"Oh Harry," Tonks cooed as she stroked Harry's hair as she softly swayed. She nuzzled the young boy close to her as the emotionally stunted child tightly held onto her. "I forgive you, I was wrong to act the way I did. I understand why you felt that way, after everything in your life, I should be more patient with you."

"Can we go back to how things used to be?" Harry asked, hoping that the silence would finally end.

"I'd like that," Tonks smiled down at Harry. "Also, I'm wearing your gift, it's really beautiful." she said pulling down the collar of her robes to show the necklace to Harry.

"It reminded me of you, all the colors," Harry quietly said as he slowly let go of Nymphadora. "I hoped you would like it."

"I love it Harry, thank you," Tonks replied as she kissed Harry on the cheek.

"You called me Harry," Harry said as it finally registered with him that she hadn't used his title for once.

"Oh my apologies," Tonks quickly said as she realized she had gotten to casual with Lord Black.

"No, don't, I like it," Harry stopped her. "I like it when you say my name," Harry blushed as his chest felt light as he finally shucked off the weight of his angst that had been weighing on him for nearly a month.

"Okay Harry," Tonk sighed as she went back to her food, with Harry pulling a plate towards him to get something to eat as well.

* * *

"It's so much better now that you two are talking again," Hermione smiled as she watched the two work through another curse from the Black Book, it was a horrific curse that flayed a person's flesh from their muscles, leaving them in agonizing pain. She hoped that Harry would never have to use it, but she also knew that there might a time when that spell would come in use.

Harry smiled over at Tonks. "I'm really glad that we're talking again too," hoping to never go through a time when Tonks didn't want to speak to him.

"It's because Harry's sweet on me," Tonks teased as she saw Harry blush, something he had taken to doing when she used his name. So it was only said out of the earshot of other students. Only she deserved to see the tinge of pink on his cheeks from just hearing her say his name. And maybe Hermione since she hung around them, but that wasn't the same.

"A little," Harry admitted that out of everyone in the castle, Tonks was easily his favorite. Not that he disliked Hermione. But there was just something about the older metamorph that enticed him, something about her that no one else in the castle had. _"Maybe more," _he thought privately as he was a budding young man and sometimes he had thoughts about girls that he knew he never had before.


End file.
